Unmatched: Debunking the “Unmatched” Myths

Myth 1: You must be the only one who didn’t match.

WRONG – you are not the only one. Every year there are thousands of medical graduates/seniors that do not match into a PGY-1 position. The reality is that there are far more applicants than residency spots.

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Active Applicants

38,376

37,103

35,969

35,476

34,905

34,270

UnmatchedPGY-1 Applicants

7,826

8,063

8,281

8,640

8,653

8,583

*Active Applicants = an applicant who submits a certified rank order list.*Post-Graduate Year 1 (PGY-1) = any graduate medical education position available to physicians immediately after their completion of medical school (A.K.A. entry-level positions).

Myth 2: Most who don’t Match find a spot in SOAP

Programs that do not fill when the Match algorithm is processed can enter the SOAP to fill the vacancies. However, program directors must choose to participate in SOAP when ranking function opens (January 15, 2019) up to the deadline (January 31, 2019). If program directors choose not to participate in SOAP, they are “prohibited” from filling their positions until SOAP concludes on Thursday of Match Week (March 14, 2019).

This year there were 1,768 positions available in SOAP. 7,826 applicants who submitted a rank list remained unmatched. That leaves 6,078 applicants who will remain unmatched IF ALL AVAILABLE POSITIONS are filled through SOAP. Program directors have the option of leaving their positions unfilled.

Myth 3: You didn’t match because you didn’t attend a medical school in the United States

While it is true that U.S. MD and DO seniors/graduates do have a higher match rate than international medical graduates, the number of unmatched U.S. trained students have been steadily rising. In 2014 there were 2,450 unmatched U.S. applicants from MD/DO schools. Compare that to 2019 where the number of unmatched was 2,898.

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Total Unmatched PGY-1 Applicants from U.S. MD/DO Schools

2,898

2,773

2,511

2,486

2,561

2,450

*Total Applicants from U.S. MD/DO Schools = includes Seniors & Previous Graduates of U.S. Allopathic Schools and Students/Graduates of Osteopathic Medical Schools

Myth 4: You didn’t match because you aren’t a U.S. Citizen and attended an International Medical School

International medical school graduates have virtually the same match rate ~59%, regardless of U.S. citizenship. Although the actual number of unmatched U.S. citizen IMG’s is steadily declining as over 2,000 applicants who submitted a rank list still did not secure a PGY-1 position.

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

U.S. Citizens Students/Graduates of International Medical SchoolsUnmatchedPGY-1 Applicants

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